How Do You Solve A Problem Like Cristina
by McManly
Summary: Owen gets a little help from an unlikely source when he realizes he has a very sad girlfriend to deal with.


Owen sighed helplessly as he watched Cristina storm down the hall, knowing he couldn't go after her, he got himself together so he could do his surgery. "What am I supposed to do?" He said to himself, half clueless, half yearning for insight as to the clearly emotional maze of Cristina Yang.

All through the surgery, Owen thought of things that he could possibly say to her or apologize for, but what exactly? Finally realizing that Cristina has a deep turmoil brewing, Owen decided there was nothing left to do but to have a chat with her other half, Mer.

Meredith is in her hospital bed, her pillowcase has stains from Cristina's mascara from the night before. "What the hell can I do from this bed?" She thought to herself as she watched yet another black and white film on TCM, this time it's "The Thin Man", one of her mother's favorites. "Ugh", she said turning the channel to food network, then one of those nifty Ah-ha moments, "Owen!"

Knowing Owen must be out of surgery by now, Meredith decides to do the noble thing and page him. It was the only way she could get him there to her room. The second she sends out the page she hears a beeping in her doorway, "You paged?" Owen was there already just like clockwork.

"How long were you standing there?" She asked him kind of confused.

"Not long just got here, then you paged me, what's up?" he knew what was up but was doing the manly thing and being unobtrusive. He hasn't interacted with Meredith a lot, but when he has there has always been a tension, hoping for the best, Owen makes himself comfortable on the couch in her room.

"I have something to show you," she takes out her pillow, the one with the mascara stains and shows him, "See this?"

"Um.. looks like stains of some kind want me to call a nurse or something?" confused he waited for an explanation.

"No, its Cristina. Her mascara. Tears. She had a breakdown last night," Meredith helplessly throws the pillow at Owen so he can see for himself.

"Cristina? She was crying?" then remembered he was in surgery Owen looked down at the pillow, his hand going over the blotches of mascara. "Shit".

"Yeah. You have to fix this. I can't I'm stuck in this bed with my t.v. friends." Meredith waited for him to respond, but could tell that he was torn up about the ordeal.

"She sort of yelled at me earlier about a surgery, but I could tell there was something else going on. We haven't had two seconds to talk," throwing the pillow aside, Owen leaned back with his hands on his head, in deep thought.

"Look she's not really mad at you, but if you let her she will take it out on you. You have to be a step ahead of her." Meredith found herself already flipping through channels on the t.v., more as a habit than actually wanting to watch something.

"Well what should I do then? Its almost like she's afraid to unload on me," then he remembered his own words to her about why he hasn't gone to visit his mother. "Any advice?"

"Well, you have to surprise her. But you also have to be suttle. She is not a pink things, shiny jewelry, kind of girl. She's more like steak and potatoes, sweat pants and beer. " Meredith settled on Soap Net, can't go wrong with soaps 24/7 can you?

"Hmmm," Owen had to laugh a bit at that as Meredith could have just been describing himself with the steak, sweats and beer. "So it has to be romantic, but not nauseatingly so?"

"Exactly. Cristina's like a cat, she is independent, you can leave her for days on her own, but when she wants the attention she will come to you and its when she really needs it.. Isn't it lunch time where's my effing lime jell-o?" Mer looks out at the hallway hoping to see the meal cart.

He rubbed his chin in thought, "Ok so suttle, but romantic eh? I can handle that. Anything else?" Hoping for some more clues Owen waits intently for anything he can use from Meredith.

"Well whatever you do, I'm sure it will work because she really does love you. I've never seen her like how she is with you, not even with.." realizing she must have given too much away, Meredith caught herself.

"Who?" Owen's ears perked up at this newly discovered information, yet another side of Cristina he wasn't expecting.

"Um.. I shouldn't say anything to you, especially if Cristina hasn't. I'll just say she has never been so happy, at least in a relationship," Meredith smiled at him, hoping that he will stop asking questions about You know Who. "So what are you gonna do?"

"Hmm not sure, but you gave me some ideas. We should do this again, talk I mean," he looked down as his beeper went off again.

"Sure thing. Dammit where the frak is my jell-o," Mer grabs the nurse button.

"I'll catch you later Meredith, if you want anything from Joe's later let me know," He turns to leave, back to the hall buzzing with activity.

"Thanks Owen but I think Derek has me covered for later, I'll take a reign check though. Keep me posted ok?"

"Will do, take care, " Owen exits Mer's room to go to his patient, not before getting run over by a mob of orange people, "Suttle but romantic…hmmm"

After dealing with the last patient of the day, Owen heads to his office with plans of what to do about Cristina going through his mind. Then he sees Torres.

"Hey Torres do you happen to know when Cristina is finished tonight? I didn't check the schedule," He asked her even though he really knew that she was getting done at 8.

"Um hard to say but I think she said something about 8ish. Why? "

"Well I have something planned for tonight, but I need the key to your place, hint hint?' He holds out his hand hoping she won't give him hell.

"Oh I get it, you're in trouble now you need to make nice? Hmm. Here you go, and no worries I am staying at Arizona's tonight so the place is yours Romeo," she slaps him playfully on the ass, he is startled but laughs.

"Thanks I owe you one, one more thing do you know what size Cristina is?", he asked, pretending to look down at a chart.

"Hmm I think a 2 or 3 not quite sure, going shopping for some lingerie?", She gives him a quizzical look, completely interested in his plans for her roommate.

"You'll find out soon enough, thanks again," He walks off while she chuckles to herself thinking of her roommate in something fluffy and pink.

"Poor guy is totally clueless", she giggled as she watched him go down the hall.

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Cristina walked into the resident locker room feeling beaten up and completely defeated over nothing. Letting out a huge sigh, she tried to keep thoughts out of her head about Izzie, surgeries, Owen, and the like, but they all keep creeping into her brain simultaneously. She sits down on the bench in front of her cubby, head in her hands, unable to find the strength she once had.

"C'mon get it together," She shook herself as if to shake off all the heavy emotions of the day, which has finally come to an end. Then she noticed something. Her cubby had a strange bag in it that she hadn't seen before.

"Ugh stupid Mercy Westers, maybe there is something good in here," She grabs the bag and looks inside, finding a card with her name on it. She opens it to find the words "Put me on" written inside in Owen scrawl. "What?" she takes out the contents of the bag which contained a comfy set of sweat pants and hooded sweatshirt in grey.

"Hmmm," she said to herself but without hesitation she put them on. Turning the card over she noticed more scrawl, "Go home". "Well where else am I gonna go after a day like today buddy," thoughts of a bubble bath and beer trickle into her head as she walks home from the hospital, she felt more relaxed but the stress of the day still messed with her head as she walked in her place she almost thought she had the wrong apartment.

In the middle of the room was a dining table she didn't know they had, all simply decorated with two candles and some chilled beer in an ice bucket waiting for her. "What's this?", she searched the room to find the culprit, who she knew was the ginger haired giant. At once she noticed the aroma, it smelled like home, well not her mom's house in Beverly Hills, but like Meredith's house on thanksgiving or Christmas. That kind of homey warmth that takes away the pain with every bite.

"Wow," she went closer to the table noticed the feast in front of her, piping hot roast beef, potatoes, gravy, green beans, even her favorite pecan pie was laid out, the mystery guest still no where to be seen. Cristina stood there amazed at what lay before her, something so simple, yet seemed to hug her from the inside out.

"Hello," the deep voice from the corner of the room said finally made his presence known. Owen wearing a dark green hoodie and sweat pants made his way over to Cristina who now had a beer bottle in her hand.

"You did this?" She looked up at him, her eyes welling up, but her voice steady and soft. He takes her hand in his, "Well, you didn't think I wouldn't take care of you after the day you've had?"

"Hmm, well I was a total jerk to you earlier, yelling at you like that," he pulled her close to him, his forehead now on hers both breathing taking each other in. "It's ok, but you know you can talk to me right?", he kissed her forehead then embraced her in his arms. She collapsed in his embrace like a child does when they see their mother after they get hurt on the playground. Crying, Cristina nuzzles into his neck letting the warmth of his body heal her tension. They kiss briefly before he pulls back and strokes her hair, then wipes away her tears with his thumbs.

"There, why don't we eat before this gets cold, and catch up, its felt like weeks since we've had a chat, " which is true he thought, partly his fault for being so wrapped up in the Mercy Westers.

"Yeah, then I can work on your payback," she nudged him playfully before he pulled out the chair for her to sit down.

"We'll see about that Yang, I have my own plans for you later," kissing the top of her head, Owen takes his spot at the table, twisting off the beer cap for Cristina and serving her dinner, fantasizing of what this will be like for them 40 years from now.


End file.
